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TECHNIQUES FOR ASSESSING SHINGLE COMMUNITIES Authors: K. R. Cole, A. I. Tait, B. J. Yates and T. J. Younghusband Techniques for assessing shingle communities ii Contents Summary..................................................................................................................................1 Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................2 Introduction...............................................................................................................................3 Aims......................................................................................................................................9 Objectives.............................................................................................................................9 Method ...................................................................................................................................10 Survey technique................................................................................................................10 Relative value of sites.........................................................................................................11 Notable species...............................................................................................................11 Results ...................................................................................................................................13 Notable species ..................................................................................................................15 Species and community types ............................................................................................17 1.1 Tide Mills East, Newhaven, landward of footpath TQ 4603 0017 .............................17 1.2 Tide Mills East, Newhaven, seaward of footpath TQ 4614 0006 ..............................19 1.3 Tide Mills West, Newhaven, seaward of footpath TQ 4539 0023 .............................21 1.4 Tide Mills West, Newhaven, landward of footpath TQ 4567 0024 ............................23 2.1 Seaford Bay, Dane Road to Martello Tower TV 4815 9870......................................25 2.2 Seaford Bay, Martello Tower to Hawks Brow TV 4865 9813 ....................................26 2.3 Seaford Bay, Martello Road to Cliff Gardens TV 4859 9845 ....................................28 3.1 Cuckmere Haven west, east of cable hut TV 5147 9772 ..........................................31 3.2 Cuckmere Haven west, shingle ridge TV 5160 9771 ................................................33 3.3 Cuckmere Haven west, around saline lagoon TV 5154 9774 ...................................35 3.4 Cuckmere Haven east, top of shingle ridge TV 5193 9764.......................................38 3.5 Cuckmere Haven east, north facing shingle slope TV 5184 9769 ............................40 3.6 Cuckmere Haven east, landward base of slope TV 5176 9774 ................................42 3.7 Cuckmere Haven east, flat area behind ridge TV 5188 9773 ...................................44 4.1 Holywell, treatment works to access path TV 6020 9699 .........................................47 4.2 Holywell, access path to café TV 60349722 .............................................................50 5.1 Eastbourne seafront, café to outfall TV 6048 9739...................................................52 5.2 Eastbourne seafront, outfall to Silverdale Road TV 6082 9773 ................................54 5.3 Eastbourne seafront, Silverdale Road to Wish Tower TV 6125 9808.......................56 5.4 Eastbourne seafront, Wish Tower to Pier TV 6158 9863..........................................58 5.5 Eastbourne seafront, Pier to the Redoubt TV 6204 9935 .........................................60 6.1 Eastbourne sailing club, Redoubt to Channel View Road TQ 6257 9995.................63 6.2 Eastbourne sailing club, Channel View Road to Sovereign Park TQ 6313 0040......65 7.1 Pevensey, Bay View caravan park access track TQ 6491 0262...............................67 7.2 Pevensey, Bay View caravan park, seaward of houses TQ 6496 0262 ...................69 7.3 Pevensey, Martello Tower to Bay View caravan park TQ 6477 0236.......................71 Techniques for assessing shingle communities iii 8.1 Pevensey sailing club west TQ 6495 0278 ...............................................................73 8.2 Pevensey sailing club north TQ 6491 0290 ..............................................................76 8.3 Pevensey sailing club east TQ 6505 0292................................................................79 9.1 Sandcastle Hotel, Pevensey, seaward of Grey Tower Bungalows TQ 6518 0308 ...81 9.2 Sandcastle Hotel, Pevensey, caravan park to Courtlands Lodge TQ 6532 0336 .....83 9.3 Sandcastle Hotel, Pevensey, access path TQ 6528 0360 ........................................85 10.1 Coast Road, Normans’ Bay, seaward of caravan park TQ 6778 0518 ...................87 10.2 Coast Road, Normans’ Bay, Aquarius to Driftwood TQ 6840 0546 ........................91 11.1 Pevensey Bay, EA Depot, Herbrand Walk TQ 6950 0602......................................94 11.2 Pevensey Bay, Herbrand Walk TQ 6987 0612 .......................................................97 11.3 Pevensey Bay, chalk bank, EA depot TQ 6944 0598 .............................................99 11.4 Pevensey Bay, Herbrand Walk sluice TQ 6941 0595 ...........................................102 11.5 Pevensey Bay, landward of Herbrand Walk TQ 6967 0608..................................104 11.6 Pevensey Bay, east of sluice TQ 6925 0592 ........................................................107 11.7 Pevensey Bay, shingle ridge east of EA depot TQ 6930 0588 .............................109 12.1 Cooden Beach, Herbrand Walk TQ 7080 0640 ....................................................112 12.2 Cooden Beach, Cooden Drive TQ 7110 0646 ......................................................114 12.3 Cooden Beach, Beaulieu Road TQ 7155 0656.....................................................115 Distribution of key species ................................................................................................117 Relative value of sites.......................................................................................................129 Discussion............................................................................................................................130 Shingle communities.........................................................................................................131 Relative value of sites.......................................................................................................132 Outlook for Phase 2 of BAR .................................................................................................136 References...........................................................................................................................137 Appendix 1 ...........................................................................................................................140 Complete list of species recorded.....................................................................................140 Techniques for assessing shingle communities iv TECHNIQUES FOR ASSESSING SHINGLE COMMUNITIES Authors: K. R. Cole1, A. I. Tait1, B. J. Yates2 and T. J. Younghusband1 1East Sussex County Council, Transport & Environment, County Hall, St Anne’s Crescent, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 1UE; 2Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, 2 Watch Cottages, Nook Beach, Winchelsea, East Sussex TN36 4LU Summary Vegetated shingle is an internationally important habitat whose distribution is globally restricted, and largely limited to north west Europe, Japan and New Zealand (UK Biodiversity Group, 1999a). However, it is well represented in the BAR Region, particularly on the English side of the eastern Channel coasts. Despite its significant ecological importance, existing recording evaluation systems for the habitat are poor. For example, in the UK, the National Vegetation Classification System (NVC) (Rodwell, 1991), used by the statutory conservation bodies in their selection of sites for national and international designation, only characterises two strandline communities (typical of sand or fine shingle substrates) and one vegetation assemblage from coastal shingle (Rodwell, 2000). Surveys of vegetated shingle within the Region are limited and generally restricted to surveys specific to developments or planning applications (e.g. Ryland, 1999, 2000 & 2001). As such no coherent baseline data exists by which to assess the vegetated shingle resource and its relative biodiversity value. The aim of this study was therefore to undertake a pilot baseline survey of the main areas of vegetated shingle in East Sussex using a simple, repeatable technique and to assess their relative biodiversity value. Forty four sites were surveyed, covering more than 61 hectares (Fig. 3). For each site, a list of vascular plants present was complied and relative abundance was recorded. Where possible, sites were matched to four community classifications; shingle community (Sneddon & Randall, 1993), broad shingle community (Williams & Cooke, 1993), NVC (Rodwell, 2000) and Habitats Directive Annex I habitat (92/43/EEC; European Commission, 2003). Crambe maritima (Sea Kale) and Glaucium flavum (Yellow Horned-poppy), characteristic species of pioneer shingle communities (Williams